Final Thoughts, Incredible India

I had to see India for myself, and am glad I did, but it was a challenge. There were moments of awe like seeing the Taj Mahal for the first time, and moments of being utterly fed up with the incessant honking of car/jeep horns from Darjeeling to McLeod Ganj. Why take on the heat, unsanitary conditions, noise, and unscrupulous hustlers? To savor authentic Indian curries, enjoy the friendly offers of chai, see more of the Himalaya, and the spot where the Buddha became enlightened.

And while it might not be my next destination after this trip, the draw of exploring Goa, Bombay, Pushkar, Udapur, the deserts of Rajhastan, and the high-altitude plateau of Buddhist Ladakh (to say the least) will remain with me.

Highlights –

the views on the share jeep ride to Darjeeling

drinking Darjeeling tea in Darjeeling

views of Mt.Kanchenjunga

riding the Himalayan Toy Train

seeing a snow leopard

hanging out with Natalie, Cameron and Sarah

share jeep ride to Gangtok, Sikkim

visiting TsomgoLake and riding a yak

3-day tour of north Sikkim

first overnight train ride in India

sitting under the Bodhi Tree in Bodhgaya

staying at the Tibetan Monastery

visiting Sarnath

walking along Varanasi‘s ghats at sunset

seeing and walking around the Taj Mahal

touring Agra Fort with Laura and Dan

watching kites being flown from the rooftops in Agra at sunset

arriving in McLeod Ganj

listening to a teaching by H.H. the Dalai Lama and seeing his eyes, smile, and wave up close and personal

reuniting with Steve and Marie

meeting Anastasia, Olga, Ron, Fred, and Ian

Tibetan cooking classes

4-day camping trek to 4,320-meter IndraharPass

trying Tibetan massage and acupuncture

open mic nights at Khana Nirvana

attending the public audience with the 17th Karmapa

getting my first shave with a straight razor at a barber shop

celebrating Steve's 27th birthday at Carpe Diem

walking around Amritsar‘s GoldenTemple

witnessing the India-Pakistan border ceremony

early morning auto rickshaw rides to the train station (Bodhgaya, Amritsar)

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Thailand is fantastic. The islands and beaches I’ve seen so far are as beautiful as the magazine photos I had taped to my refrigerator at home. And I feel like I earned this all much more because of the time I spent in Nepal and India. Getting to Thailand, I felt a great sense of accomplishment actually. :)

Thailand is fantastic. The islands and beaches I’ve seen so far are as beautiful as the magazine photos I had taped to my refrigerator at home. And I feel like I earned this all much more because of the time I spent in Nepal and India. Getting to Thailand, I felt a great sense of accomplishment actually. :)

If you ever plan to go to India again…dont miss Ladakh…especially the Zanskar valley..n be sure to hire the local Zanskari guides…dont go to the tour operators in Manali or Leh..they always overcharge…n take away the source of Income from Zanskari men..Manali to Leh road trip is another high point….

If you ever plan to go to India again…dont miss Ladakh…especially the Zanskar valley..n be sure to hire the local Zanskari guides…dont go to the tour operators in Manali or Leh..they always overcharge…n take away the source of Income from Zanskari men..Manali to Leh road trip is another high point….